More than 500 students from eight Omaha-area Catholic high schools came together Thursday at Creighton University to watch a live stream of Pope Francis as he became the first pope to address the U.S. Congress.

"It's amazing," said Noah Carman, St. Albert senior. "I got goosebumps while he was talking. It's the greatest thing I've ever seen. (It's) something in history that I won't forget."

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Students watched the pope address a joint session of Congress, and then took part in a question-and-answer session with U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford of Nebraska. Time for personal reflection and breakout discussion sessions with Creighton facilitators followed.

Ashford issued the following statement about the pope's historic address:

The Pope's message of unity and cooperation come at a time of great division in our society and throughout the world. The call to end polarization and build bridges is a message that Washington badly needs to hear. Lawmakers - as representatives of our citizens - must heed his calls to find common goals and peaceful solutions. Pope Francis' moral leadership on critical issues such as climate change, economic inequality, and immigration challenge us to build a better future for our children.

“On this historic occasion, we at Creighton wanted to offer this opportunity to our local high school students to come together to witness the Holy Father do something no other pope has ever done,” said Creighton Vice Provost for Mission and Ministry Eileen Burke-Sullivan. “We hope this will afford students not only an opportunity to hear Pope Francis’ message, but also to engage one another in a dialogue about what effect his words may have and how his papacy is encouraging all of us to think in new directions about our faith and our future.”

Among potential topics for conversation after the address were Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, his place as the first Jesuit pope, immigration, the economy, the pope’s efforts at bringing people of disparate backgrounds and divisive ideologies together and other important concerns for Catholic social teaching.

"I hope that it impacts all of America. He talked about how great America is and how we're a place for dreamers to fulfill your dream," said Jim Homan, Gross Catholic teacher. "Hopefully we can keep doing that."

Pope Francis’ visit to the United States will be his first as pope. He is returning to Rome on Sunday. His visit to the U.S. was welcomed by many.

"I think it shows how much of a person he is and how much he cares about everyone in every way," said Carman.